| Guvnor

Enforced by: Local Authority, FSA, Food Standards Scotland, Trading Standards, DWI, DEFRA
Status: Amended (in force with amendments)
Penalty ceiling: Imprisonment 16 of 20 obligations carry up to 2 years imprisonment. 2 carry different penalties and 2 have no criminal penalty — flagged in the list below.

Does it bind you?

Business-side roles with duties under this instrument.

Any Person17 Director or Officer1

Plus 2 duties on the regulator, Crown ministers and public bodies — folded into the section list below.

Other Acts binding the same actors

If a role above is yours, these are the other instruments that most often bind it.

Any Person — also bound by 2684 other Acts

Human Medicines Regulations 2012 184 duties

Merchant Shipping Act 1995 144 duties

Insolvency (England and Wales) Rules 2016 104 duties

Communications Act 2003 92 duties

Road Traffic Act 1988 92 duties

Director or Officer — also bound by 482 other Acts

Insolvency (England and Wales) Rules 2016 162 duties

Companies Act 2006 126 duties

Insolvency Act 1986 77 duties

The Large and Medium-sized Companies and Groups (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 68 duties

Building Societies Act 1986 32 duties

What it requires

Sections creating concrete business duties or carrying penalties, grouped as the instrument is structured. Titles link to the source text — blue means you’re leaving for legislation.gov.uk.

Part 1

PRELIMINARY

1 of 6 sections shown

s.006 Enforcement of Act. Regulated

Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator

Local authorities and the FSA must enforce food safety lawsLocal authority

5 other sections in this Part — procedural and definitional

s.001 Meaning of “food” and other basic expressions.

s.002 Extended meaning of “sale” etc.

s.003 Presumptions that food intended for human consumption.

s.004 Ministers having functions under Act.

s.005 Food authorities and authorised officers.

Part 2

MAIN PROVISIONS

12 of 24 sections shown

s.007 Rendering food injurious to health. Imprisonment

Render food injurious to healthAny Person

s.009 Inspection and seizure of suspected food. Imprisonment

Knowingly breach a food‑safety noticeAny Person

s.010 Improvement notices. Imprisonment

Fail to comply with an improvement noticeAny Person

s.011 Prohibition orders. Imprisonment

Knowingly contravene a food prohibition orderAny Person

s.012 Emergency prohibition notices and orders. Imprisonment

Knowingly breach an emergency prohibition notice or orderAny Person

s.013 Emergency control orders. Imprisonment

Contravene emergency control order or ignore directionAny Person

s.014 Selling food not of the nature or substance or quality demanded. Imprisonment

Sell food not matching the nature, substance or quality demandedAny Person

s.015 Falsely describing or presenting food. Imprisonment

Falsely describe or present foodAny Person

s.015 Contravention of food information law: seizure of food etc. Prosecution

Knowingly breach a food‑information noticeAny Person

Fine up to £2,500

s.015 Duty to report non-compliance with food information law Imprisonment

Fail to report food information law breaches to authoritiesAny Person

s.015 Power to obtain information Imprisonment

Fail to provide information to Food Standards ScotlandAny Person

s.020 Offences due to fault of another person. Imprisonment

Cause another person to commit a food safety offenceAny Person

12 other sections in this Part — procedural and definitional

s.008 Selling food not complying with food safety requirements.

s.015 Meaning of “food information” etc.

s.016 Food safety and consumer protection.

s.017 Enforcement of EU provisions.

s.018 Special provisions for particular foods etc.

s.019 Registration and licensing of food premises.

s.021 Defence of due diligence.

s.022 Defence of publication in the course of business.

s.023 Provision of food hygiene training.

s.024 Provision of facilities for cleansing shellfish.

s.025 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..

s.026 Regulations and orders: supplementary provisions.

Part 3

ADMINISTRATION AND ENFORCEMENT

6 of 14 sections shown

s.027 Appointment of public analysts. Regulated

Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator

Local authorities must appoint qualified public analystsLocal authority

s.032 Powers of entry. Imprisonment

Disclose trade secrets obtained during inspectionAny Person

s.033 Obstruction etc. of officers. Imprisonment

Obstruct food‑safety officers or give false informationAny Person

s.035 Punishment of offences. Imprisonment

Serious food safety breaches and obstructionAny Person

s.036 Offences by bodies corporate. Imprisonment

Corporate liability for food safety offencesDirector or Officer

s.036 Offences by Scottish partnerships. Imprisonment

Partner liable for partnership food‑safety offenceAny Person

8 other sections in this Part — procedural and definitional

s.028 Provision of facilities for examinations.

s.029 Procurement of samples.

s.030 Analysis etc. of samples.

s.031 Regulation of sampling and analysis etc.

s.034 Time limit for prosecutions.

s.037 Appeals to magistrates’ court or sheriff.

s.038 Appeals to Crown Court.

s.039 Appeals against improvement notices.

Part 4

MISCELLANEOUS AND SUPPLEMENTAL

0 of 21 sections shown

21 other sections in this Part — procedural and definitional

s.040 Power to issue codes of practice.

s.041 Power to require returns.

s.042 Default powers.

s.043 Continuance of registration or licence on death.

s.044 Protection of officers acting in good faith.

s.045 Regulations as to charges.

s.046 Expenses of authorised officers and county councils.

s.047 Remuneration of tribunal chairmen.

s.048 Regulations and orders.

s.049 Form and authentication of documents.

s.050 Service of documents.

s.051 Contamination of food: emergency orders.

s.052 Markets, sugar beet and cold storage.

s.053 General interpretation.

s.054 Application to Crown.

s.055 Water supply: England and Wales.

s.056 Water supply: Scotland.

s.057 Scilly Isles and Channel Islands.

s.058 Territorial waters and the continental shelf.

s.059 Amendments, transitional provisions, savings and repeals.

s.060 Short title, commencement and extent.

Schedules

1 of 74 shown

s.sch002 Amendments of Parts III and V of 1984 Act Imprisonment

Disclose confidential beet information without consentAny Person

73 other schedules

s.001 Provisions of Regulations under Section 16(1)

s.003 Minor and Consequential Amendments

s.004 Transitional Provisions and Savings

s.sch001 Provision for prohibiting or regulating— (a) the sale, possession for...

s.sch001 (1) Provision for prohibiting— (a) the sale for human consumption;...

s.sch001 (1) Provision for regulating generally the treatment and disposal of...

s.sch001 Provision for the following, namely— (a) for the giving by...

s.sch001 (1) Provision for imposing requirements as to—

s.sch001 (1) Provision for imposing responsibility for compliance with any requirements...

s.sch001 Provision for prohibiting or regulating— (a) the possession, sale or...

s.sch001 (1) Provision for securing the inspection of food sources by...

s.sch001 (1) Provision for the following in connection with a food...

s.sch002 Part III of the 1984 Act (markets) shall be amended...

s.sch002 In section 60 (market byelaws), after paragraph (c) there shall...

s.sch002 In section 61 (interpretation of Part III), the words from...

s.sch002 Part V of the 1984 Act (sugar beet and cold...

s.sch002 (1) In subsections (1) and (2) of section 68 (research...

s.sch002 In subsection (3) of section 69 (crop price), for the...

s.sch002 After that section there shall be inserted the following section—...

s.sch002 Section 70 (provision of cold storage) shall cease to have...

s.sch002 (1) In subsection (1) of section 50 (establishment or acquisition...

s.sch002 In section 51(2) (power to sell to local authority), the...

s.sch002 (1) In subsection (1) of section 53 (charges by market...

s.sch002 For subsection (2) of section 54 (time for payment of...

s.sch002 In section 56(1) (prohibited sales in market hours), for the...

s.sch002 In section 57 (weighing machines and scales), subsection (1) shall...

s.sch002 After that section there shall be inserted the following section—...

s.sch002 Section 58 (weighing of articles) shall cease to have effect....

s.sch003 An order made by the Secretary of State under section...

s.sch003 After section 115 of that Act there shall be inserted...

s.sch003 In section 132(1) of that Act (interpretation), the definition of...

s.sch003 In paragraph 1(2) of Schedule 3 to that Act (sampling)...

s.sch003 In Schedule 16 to the Transport Act 1968 (supplementary and...

s.sch003 (1) In subsection (1) of section 4 of the Agriculture...

s.sch003 In section 8(4)(a) of the Poisons Act 1972 (evidence of...

s.sch003 In section 259(3) of the Local Government Act 1972 (compensation...

s.sch003 In the following provisions of the Slaughterhouses Act 1974, namely—...

s.sch003 In section 23(4) of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 1976 (application...

s.sch003 Section 54(1) of the London Government Act 1963 (food, drugs,...

s.sch003 (1) In subsection (1) of section 12 of the Weights...

s.sch003 In Schedule 6 to that Act (temporary requirements imposed by...

s.sch003 In Schedule 5 to the Hydrocarbon Oil Duties Act 1979...

s.sch003 In section 19(2) of the Slaughter of Animals (Scotland) Act...

s.sch003 In section 22 of that Act (interpretation)—

s.sch003 In section 39 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982...

s.sch003 In section 3(2) of the Public Health (Control of Disease)...

s.sch003 In section 7(3) of that Act (London port health authority),...

s.sch003 (1) In subsection (1) of section 20 of that Act...

s.sch003 In section 24(1) of the Food and Environment Protection Act...

s.sch003 In section 7(3) of the Agriculture Act 1967 (labelling of...

s.sch003 In section 25 of that Act (Northern Ireland) after subsection...

s.sch003 In paragraph 15 of Schedule 8 to the Local Government...

s.sch003 In section 38 of the Weights and Measures Act 1985...

s.sch003 In section 93 of that Act (powers under other Acts...

s.sch003 In section 94(1) of that Act (interpretation), in the definition...

s.sch003 In section 1(6) of the Agriculture Act 1986 (provision of...

s.sch003 (1) In subsection (2) of section 1 of the National...

s.sch003 In section 19(1) of the Consumer Protection Act 1987 (interpretation...

s.sch003 In section 16(7) of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988...

s.sch003 (1) In subsection (2) of section 25 of that Act...

s.sch003 In section 4 of the Farm and Garden Chemicals Act...

s.sch003 In section 2(5)(a) of the Trade Descriptions Act 1968 (certain...

s.sch003 In section 22 of that Act (admissibility of evidence in...

s.sch003 In section 108 of the Medicines Act 1968 (enforcement in...

s.sch003 In section 109 of that Act (enforcement in Scotland)—

s.sch004 In relation to any time before the commencement of the...

s.sch004 (1) In so far as any existing regulations made, or...

s.sch004 Any existing regulations made, or having effect as if made,...

s.sch004 In so far as any existing regulations made under section...

s.sch004 the Milk and Dairies (Scotland) Act 1914 (orders with respect...

s.sch004 The repeal by this Act of section 14 of the...

s.sch004 The repeal by this Act of section 21 of the...

s.sch005 Repeals

Help complying

Guvnor’s practical routes through this instrument.

Meet food safety requirements for your business

Respond to a food safety incident

Immediate steps when unsafe food is discovered or a customer reports illness. Stop selling, withdraw the product, notify the FSA, and cooperate …

Start a restaurant

Open a restaurant, cafe, or food business

Start a food business for the first time

Everything you need to do before opening a food business. Covers registration, premises, HACCP, training, allergens, labelling, and preparing for your first …

Food safety quick compliance check

A quick compliance check for food business operators. Covers registration, HACCP, allergens, temperature control, training, and record keeping.

Improve your food hygiene rating

Practical steps to improve a poor food hygiene rating. Understand what inspectors scored, fix the issues, and request a re-inspection.

Allergen control systems and Natasha's Law

Implement comprehensive allergen management systems and comply with Natasha's Law PPDS labelling requirements.

Food Hygiene Rating Scheme

Your council's food safety officers rate your food business from 0 to 5 at each inspection, based on how you handle food, …

Food Information Regulations 2014 compliance

Comply with mandatory food labelling and information requirements under UK and assimilated EU law.

Food business support and grants in Wales

Welsh Government food business support and grants — Business Wales, Food Innovation Wales, Cywain, Farming Connect, Development Bank of Wales, and protected …

Food safety requirements in Scotland

Food businesses in Scotland are regulated by Food Standards Scotland, not the Food Standards Agency, so check Scottish guidance. Most small businesses …

Food traceability, withdrawal, and recall

Maintain food traceability records using the one step back, one step forward principle, and follow the correct procedures if you need to …

How food safety enforcement works in Wales

In Wales, your local authority's environmental health officers inspect food businesses and take enforcement action, while FSA Wales sets policy and audits …

Keep food safe in your childcare setting

If you give children meals, snacks or drinks, you are a food business: register with your local authority (childminders are registered through …

25 more guides that reference this instrument

Labelling and safety rules for selling food online Meet the HFSS promotion and placement rules Novel foods authorisation in Great Britain Prepare for a food hygiene inspection Register a food business in Wales Set up a HACCP-based food safety system Food business registration Food labelling requirements Get your animal-origin food establishment approved Selling energy drinks to under-16s Alcohol licensing requirements Allergen information requirements Business licences by activity type Comply with mandatory food hygiene rating display in Wales Control food temperatures safely Environmental permits and effluent controls for textile finishing and leather tanning Get approved food establishment status in Wales Get the specialist licences your shop needs Holiday let food hygiene, employment and insurance Hospitality sector market overview Host weddings and events on your farm Meet the food-contact rules for paper and board Penalties for trading without required approvals Set up food premises that meet hygiene standards Train your staff in food safety

Connected legislation

Instruments made under this Act. They carry the detail the Act delegates.

Food Information (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2019 SI 2019

Food Information Regulations 2014 SI 2014

The Addition of Vitamins, Minerals and Other Substances (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2010 SI 2010/1886

The Addition of Vitamins, Minerals and Other Substances (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 SI 2020/256

The Addition of Vitamins, Minerals and Other Substances (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2010 SI 2010/308 Scottish Statutory Instrument

The Addition of Vitamins, Minerals and Other Substances (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2010 SI 2010/2069 Welsh Statutory Instrument

The Addition of Vitamins, Minerals and Other Substances (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 SI 2020/257 Welsh Statutory Instrument

The Animal Feed (England) Regulations 2010 SI 2010/2503

The Cocoa and Chocolate Products (Scotland) Regulations 2003 SI 2003/291 Scottish Statutory Instrument

The Fish Labelling (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2006 SI 2006/105 Scottish Statutory Instrument

The Fish Labelling (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2015 SI 2015/48 Scottish Statutory Instrument

The Fish Labelling (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2006 SI 2006/1339 Welsh Statutory Instrument

The Food Additives (England) (Amendment) and the Extraction Solvents in Food (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2012 SI 2012/1155

The Food Enzymes (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2010 SI 2010/26 Scottish Statutory Instrument

The Food for Specific Groups (Food for Special Medical Purposes for Infants, Infant Formula and Follow-on Formula) (Information and Compositional Requirements) (Amendment ) (England) Regulations 2020 SI 2020/43

The Food Hygiene (Wales) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2012 SI 2012/1765 Welsh Statutory Instrument

The Food Information (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2020 SI 2020/541

The Food Information (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2022 SI 2022/481

The Food Information (Amendment of Transitional Provisions) (England) Regulations 2022 SI 2022/938

The Food Information (Amendment of Transitional Provisions) (Wales) Regulations 2022 SI 2022/939 Welsh Statutory Instrument

Duty extraction and severity labels are Guvnor’s analysis of the instrument, not the instrument itself. Always verify against the linked source text.